We Will Never Part
by Meum Cerebrum Nocet
Summary: It was a summer that changed our lives. In some ways for the better. In some ways for the worse. But when we look back on those sixty days, we all agree that they were the most memorable. Rewrite.
1. Prologue: From Diapers to Deathbeds

**-We Will Never Part-**

_**A/N:**__ First part of my total re-write of this story. I decided to completely re-write this because the first story didn't really have much of a plot and I kind of really hated it. The basics will still be the same (they're going away,__ to the same places and to visit the same people) but otherwise, things are changing. Some things I will keep... idea wise at least, because I like the ideas, just maybe not the way I wrote them. Ok, rant over, enjoy the st__ory :P_

_**Summary: **__It was a summer that changed our lives. In some ways for the better. In some ways for the worse. But when we look back on those sixty days, we all agree that they were the most memorable._

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own Naruto or the plot of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants._

**-Prologue-**

**-From Diapers to Deathbeds-**

Have you ever felt a bond so strong that it threatens to pull you apart if you were ever to think of breaking it? A bond so strong that it's formation seems almost mythical?

I have. It was the bond between my friends and I, so close that we referred to each other as sisters, one entity residing in four separate bodies. We were 'The SHIT' (Haruno Sakura, Hyuuga Hinata, Yamanaka Ino, and Ryuu Tenten) an inside joke we created when we were twelve. It wasn't really funny, but to our twelve-year-old minds, it was the most genius thing we had ever come up with.

From the first time we met, I could tell that our friendship would be one of legends. We just seemed to click. Our personalities moulded together perfectly, even though they were so different. Tenten was the brawn, Ino, the beauty, and Sakura, the brains.

Finally there was me, Hinata. The only way I could think to describe me would be to say that I'm the quiet, sensitive one.

But as strong as our bond seemed to be, it also seemed so fragile. We were so worried that one small event would rip what we had to shreds so tiny that even the magical powers of crazy glue couldn't fix them.

It was with this fear that we spent every moment we had in each other's presence. We hoped that if the bond were broken, we would have had enough of each other to last us until we could build another bond.

We met before our second year came to pass, at the Sunny Mommies Spa. Our mothers had all felt the call of a spa day, and, after finding the only spa in all of Konoha that had a program where children over the age of three months would be cared for while their mothers relaxed, they brought us together.

At such a young age, we didn't really realize that we were in the presence of others like us (as opposed to the adults we were constantly surrounded by). We were simply more concerned with what we were doing at that moment. But it was with this one meeting, created by our mothers' need to get some time to themselves, that our friendship bloomed.

As fate would have it, our mothers all finished at the same time and came to retrieve us. They met and realised they each had daughters around the same age. In the half an hour that followed, names and numbers were swapped and play-dates were set up.

We grew up together. From diapers, to pull-ups, to the ever-coveted big girl panties, we were together for it all. In fact, there was rarely a moment after those first few years of toddler-hood when we weren't together. Summers especially, were our time. They were the only time when schoolwork and extra-curriculars couldn't keep us from enjoying every moment together. From early childhood, at least ¾ of our summers were spent together, whether it was in kiddie-pools in each other's backyard, or the public pool, or the mall.

However, just like everything good in the world, our constant togetherness had to come to an end.

It was the summer before our junior year of high school, a big step in our lives as it was our second to last year of the dreaded halls of education. Our constant summer togetherness had created a routine of sorts; every morning we would wake up, get brunch at a local café and spend the rest of the day in each other's presence, usually wandering around the mall or hanging out at a nearby park or pool.

It was a cumulative affect. With our impending educational freedom, our boring summer routines, and a need to be free of our small town for a while, be free of our world (for Konoha was all we truly knew of the world), we decided to spend the summer apart.

Tenten had enrolled herself in a soccer camp in Sunagakure. We all thought it was an amazing step, considering she hadn't touched a soccer ball since the death of her mother, seven years earlier. She was excited about going, but also worried about leaving the three of us (because at that time we hadn't made our summer decisions yet).

In May, a month after Tenten's self-enrolment in soccer camp, I received a letter from my mother, an event that hadn't happened in about five years. She and my father had separated (much against the advisement of the Hyuuga elders) and my mom had moved from Konoha to Kusagakure. About a year after the divorce, she stopped writing. So when her letter had arrived, I was utterly surprised. Of course, the contents surprised me even more.

She was writing to invite my younger sister, Hanabi, and me to her house for the summer. Apparently, there had been some big change in her life and she absolutely needed to see us. With that, my summer plans were set.

Sakura was the next to feel the need to escape. Her parents had begun talking about possible futures for their daughter over dinner one night.

The Harunos were known for their extensive involvement in the medical field. Her father, Haruno Toshiro was a world-renowned neurosurgeon. Her mother, Haruno Misaki, was one of the best veterinarians in all of Konoha. Even her grandparents (on her father's side) were big into medicine. It was a joint venture between Haruno Zurui and his wife Haruno Chikara that brought the largest chain of pharmacies (Haruno Medical) to the world.

With a family full of people in the medical career, it was expected that Sakura would also become some form of doctor. However, during their dinnertime discussion of futures, Toshiro and Misaki began to fear that their daughter was thinking of pursuing other interests, namely her art. Sakura had immediately assured her parents that she would be attending medical school.

However, her parents were still unsure of their daughter's conviction and just to be sure that their daughter wasn't possibly looking outside of the medical profession for a career; they were sending her to Kirigakure to spend the summer with her grandmother.

Ino seemed to be the only one unaffected by the need for something outside of Konoha. For the past three years, since her breakthrough into the world of teenagers, she had worked a part-time shift at her parent's small flower shop.

The flower shop had been started by her grandmother on her father's side and inherited by the blonde haired male and his wife after his mother died. However, neither had a very large interest in flowers, instead choosing to pursue legal careers.

So, they hired local teens and those who were simply looking to occupy time to work at the shop. Ino had taken the main summer job ever since she was old enough to, having a larger interest in flowers than her parents. And she once again was taking up the job, but in a more full time, manager position, something she was greatly looking forward to.

And then, in June, Ino received her report card and her summer plans were even more set. The young blonde had all but failed her math course and was therefore forced to take a summer course if she wanted to continue on with the course (which she did).

And just like that, our constant togetherness was broken. But as we all departed on our summer escapades, I couldn't help but hope that the famous adage, 'Distance makes the heart grow stronger' would apply to us four as well.

* * *

_-End Prologue-_

_-To Be Continued-_

* * *

_**A/N**__**:**__There you have it. I completely changed the prologue because the other one was too short and I scrapped the journal idea... it was just too weird and I kind of forgot about it halfway through the original. And honestly, they're emailing each other like every day so there was no need for the journal. _

_REVIEW PLEASE!_


	2. Chapter 1: Packing, Packing, Packing

**-We Will Never Part-**

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto or the plot of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants._

**-Chapter 1-**

**-Packing, Re-packing and Packing Some More-**

_From: Mom (Haruno-misaki1213)_

_To: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx)_

_Sent: Sunday, June 24; 8:57 pm_

_Subject: Packing_

_Dear Sakura, _

_I hope you get this before arriving at Chikara-sama's. Otherwise writing to you is pointless. _

_Anyway, I am writing to remind you not to forget anything. I know you and your friends were planning on packing over at Ino-chan's house, and it worries me some. I haven't been able to make sure you haven't forgotten anything. _

_If you have, just write me and I'll send whatever you need. _

_Please tell me when you get to Chikara-sama's; I would appreciate knowing you are safe. _

_Lots of love_

_your mother, _

_Haruno Misaki_

* * *

"Forehead!" Ino sang from her perch on the window seat, "Don't forget anything or your mother will send the shame fairy your way!" Ino loved teasing her friend about her mother's ability to cause the rosette to feel incredibly guilty if she even forgot so much as a pair of socks.

"Shut up Ino-pig! At least I'm going somewhere this summer," the rosette replied, sticking her tongue out childishly at the blonde. Sakura loved her relationship with Ino. When they were together, they could talk about nothing for hours on end, effectively annoying the pants off Hinata and Tenten. Also, they acted like they were five around each other, having pointless 'nu-uh/ uh-huh' arguments with each other, and sticking their tongues out.

It was only Ino that made the rosette act this way. Otherwise, she was the rational, levelheaded member of the group. Ino brought out her inner-child and for that Sakura loved Ino to death.

Without the blonde, Sakura was the voice of reason. She had a special gift, or at least that's what she called it. Everyone had that small voice in the back of their head, their conscience, which told them right from wrong. Although a good portion of the world ignored it, it was always there. Sakura's was just stronger. She could tell, from the mere mention of a plan, a basic outcome. She could tell whether the plan would succeed and end up well, or fail and end miserably.

And she was always the one to tell the others what the outcome was, and thus she had gotten the nickname 'voice of reason.'

"Gosh, would you two grow up already! I mean, you're almost sixteen Ino, and Sakura, you're already sixteen! Yet you two act like four year olds!" Tenten commented. Sakura rolled her eyes. Of course Tenten would be the one lecturing them. Like she hadn't acted like a total child at times too. In fact, Sakura distinctly remembered the winter formal that year, when Tenten had acted as if she had drunk a bottle of straight Vodka and run around the gym, laughing her butt off with their friend Rock Lee. Upon further investigation it was found that the two had consumed a pound of sugar prior to the formal.

"Whatever Tenten!" Ino commented with a wave of her hand, "shouldn't you be packing anyway? Don't you leave tomorrow morning?"

"I'm already done, Ino," Tenten replied, motioning to the small green suitcase decorated with dancing pandas.

"One suitcase?!" Ino asked incredulously. "How can you pack for a whole summer with just one suitcase?! If I were going to a co-ed summer camp, I'd have a lot more than you! Here, let me see what you've got."

Ino jumped off the window bench and slid on the floor over to Tenten's bag and hurriedly opened up the small suitcase. Sakura watched as Ino threw t-shirt after t-shirt out of Tenten's bag.

Yamanaka Ino was the fashionista of the group. She had a nose for the latest and greatest fashion trends, sometimes she could even tell what would be in fashion before the magazines declared it. She always had the fanciest clothing, always designer, and the cutest accessories. There had been a time when Sakura had been insanely jealous of the blonde. After voicing this though, Ino had told the rosette that she could borrow whatever she wanted from her closet. Another reason Sakura loved knowing Ino.

"Uggh!" the blonde groaned when she pulled out another t-shirt, "T-shirts and basketball shorts? That's all your bringing! What happens if there is a formal event or you go out clubbing or something? Huh? You gonna wear a ratty old t-shirt and a pair of black shorts that reach your knees and show off no shape, not to mention no skin!"

"Ok, first of all, there isn't going to be a formal; second, I'm not old enough to get into a club; and third, I really don't care if my clothes don't show my shape," Tenten explained as she stood from her spot on Ino's sheep skin rug and walked over to the blonde's custom purple laptop perched on a large white desk.

"Counter 1, you never know what camp councilors are going to decide half way through camp and it's always good to be prepared. Counter 2, hello, it's called a fake! And besides, you can probably convince one of the councilors, you know a fun loving one, to sneak you in. And finally, counter 3, _I_ care about showing your shape because you're going to end up alone with a million cats!" the blonde replied as she disappeared into her large closet.

"Counter counter 1, Ino, it's a soccer camp! There isn't going to be a dance. Counter counter 2, do you know how much trouble I'd be in if my dad even heard me mention sneaking into a club?! And counter counter 3, if a guy only likes me for my appearance then I don't want to know him!" Tenten logged onto the Internet and began checking her e-mails.

Sakura smiled from her spot on Ino's large purple covered bed. Ah, the counter arguments. Tenten and Ino were famous for these, simply because they were like yin and yang, complete opposites. There was Tenten, the tomboy who chose comfort over style, and Ino, the beauty who would squeeze into shoes two sizes smaller than her feet just to look stylish. And then there were the counter arguments, where one person came up with reasons against the other, and then the other would commence coming up with counters for each argument. They were just the way Tenten and Ino were able to coexist without ripping each other to shreds.

"Thrice counter 1, you don't know that. Thrice counter 2, your dad is never going to find out if you don't tell him. And thrice counter 3, come on Tennie-chan! You know the first thing guys realize is looks, and then they'll start talking to you and realize they like you for your personality!" Ino reemerged from her closet with an armful of mini-skirts, dresses, short-shorts, and tank tops.

"Quadruple counter 1, I so know that! Soccer players would rather play soccer than dance. Quadruple counter 2, what if I get caught? Then my dad would know! And quadruple counter 3, not all guys are like that!" Tenten said as she turned her full attention to Ino, worried about what the blonde was doing with the copious amounts of very small clothing.

"Quintuple counter 1, that's just you Tennie-chan! I happen to know another soccer player who loves dancing!" Quintuple counter 2, just don't get caught! It's so easy to sneak into a club with a fake_. _And Quintuple counter 3, name three!" Ino said as she carefully folded the articles of clothing and then began placing them into Tenten's suitcase.

"Sextuple counter 1, oh yeah?! Who? Sextuple counter 2, no it's not. And where would I get a fake from anyway? And Sextuple counter 3, Lee, Chouji and Shino! Hah! And stop putting those into my bag! I'm not going to have any room for my soccer stuff!"

"Septuple counter 1, my friend Temari in Suna, I think she's going to your camp. Septuple counter 2, it so is! And I could make you one if you wanted! And septuple counter 3, fine you win that argument but that doesn't mean you get to keep your old clothes. I still want you to show some shape. And I've got another suitcase for your soccer stuff. Which reminds me, Hina-chan, would you be a dear and grab the two bags just inside the door of my closet?"

Sakura was surprised when Ino turned to Hinata. The raven-haired Hyuuga heir was so quiet sometimes the rosette forgot she was even in the room. When the raven-haired girl returned, she had two suitcases identical to Tenten's under her arms.

"Where'd you get the suitcases Ino?" Tenten asked, an accusatory tone in her voice.

"When you bought your one meager suitcase, I realized we'd probably be having an argument very close to the one we are currently having, so I went behind you and bought a few more. Just think of it as an early Christmas gift," the blonde replied with a shrug as she continued to pack the brunette's bags with the clothing she had pulled from her closet. When all three suitcases were full, of both Ino's clothing and a quarter of what Tenten had originally packed of her own things, the blonde turned her attention to Hinata.

"Now, Hina-chan, let me see what you've packed."

This was precisely the reason they had converged at Ino's instead of anywhere else. Ino would insist on going through their bags and adding her clothing were she saw fit, which usually ended up doubling the amount of bags one had originally packed. Sakura sighed and fell back onto the blonde's bed. This was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

What felt like months later but was really only the afternoon, Ino sat back from Sakura's bright pink and green luggage, a content smile on her face.

"I am pleased to say that, with the exception of Tenten, you have all done an excellent job packing! I'm very pleased!"

"Ino, just because you consider it 'exceptional' doesn't mean that it is. What I had packed originally was perfect for a summer camp in the hot deserts outside Sunagakure. _You _decided that my soccer clothes weren't good enough. Anyone at my camp would have felt I packed extremely well." Tenten rebutted, arms crossed defiantly across her chest.

Ino opened her mouth to answer Tenten but Hinata beat her to the punch.

"How about you two simply agree to disagree, ok. If we want to fit everything we have planned into one night, we have to start now. This means we don't have time for you guys to start up another counter argument."

Sakura inwardly smiled at the raven-haired girl. If Sakura was the voice of reason and Ino was the fashionista, then Hinata was the 'bomb diffuser', so to speak. Hinata was able to take any situation, no matter the tension level and potential of explosion, and completely diffuse the situation. Her calming way of carrying herself was contagious, almost. It was like, the moment she opened her mouth, calmness spread throughout everyone in the immediate vicinity and they all back down.

Sakura glanced from Ino to Tenten and saw that they were indeed cooling down and walking away form the argument. After a few seconds of silence in which everyone wound down, Ino opened her mouth, a smile across her face.

"You're totally right Hinata! Let's get this "Sayonara Sleepover" rolling!" With that, Ino jumped up from her position on the floor and raced out the door. The others looked at each other, similar smiles on their faces and followed the energetic blonde out of the purple room and down the hall, beginning the celebrations of their final night together.

_-End Chapter 1-_

_-To Be Continued-_

_**A/N: **__I hope you enjoyed it. I know this chapter wasn't in the original, but I felt it was needed to help familiarize everyone with the way these four best of friends act around each other!_

_And now, without further adieu, _

_I must ask that you..._

_REVIEW! _

_(he he! It rhymes…)_


	3. Chapter 2: Have a Nice Trip

**-We Will Never Part-**

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto or the plot of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants._

**-Chapter 2-**

**-Have a Nice Trip… -**

_From: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx)_

_To: Mom (Haruno-misaki1213); Dad (Haruno-toshiro)_

_Sent: Monday, June 25; 9:24 am_

_Subject: See ya in September!_

_Bye Mom. Dad. _

_I'm sitting in the airport waiting room, awaiting my plane to be ready to take me to baa-chan's. Just thought I'd use the Internet hook up thing they have to say goodbye to you one final time. Ino's dad got me to the airport with plenty of time, so don't worry about me having to rush. _

_And don't worry about me forgetting anything mom. I triple checked the list and Ino went through my stuff too. I'm all set! Can't wait to see baa-chan, but I'm going to miss you terribly. _

_Take care. They're boarding for my plane now. I'll call when I reach baa-chan's (which should be in about five hours). _

_xox_

_your daughter, _

_Sakura_

* * *

Sakura closed her laptop and stowed it in her large pink Guess tote. She then dug out her boarding pass and searched for her row number. 'Two huh? First class all the way baby!' she thought with a smile as she imagined all the first class treatment she'd get on her flight.

Finally, they were calling the front rows of the plane. Sakura hooked her bag over she shoulder and headed to the small desk were a lady stood, awaiting boarding passes. Sakura gave the lady hers and then headed down the long hallway to the plane.

Sitting so close to the front, she quickly found her seat, window as she had requested, and sat down. As she was pushing her purse under the seat in front of her, someone took the seat beside her. She looked up and saw an incredibly handsome male with long raven hair and onyx eyes.

"Hey, I'm Sakura," she said, sitting up straight and flattening out her green and white D&G blouse, borrowed from Ino.

The male lifted the corner of his mouth in what she took as a friendly smile. "Itachi," he replied. Before any more words could be passed between the two, the flight attendant came over the intercom system and began the pre-flight run-through.

* * *

_From: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx)_

_To: Bear-chan (10.10i-score-every-time10.10); Hyuuga Hinata (lil _miss_ sunshine); Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_Sent: Monday, June 25; 2:03 pm_

_Subject: The Cherry has landed_

_Hey guys!_

_Miss ya already_

_I'm HERE! Though here ain't that interesting... actually, the airport isn't that interesting, seeing as I haven't been anywhere else! _

_Baa-chan has WIFI in her limo_

_Hope your summers are awesome! Hope mine is too, for that matter. _

_xox_

_your bestie forever, _

_Cherry_

* * *

She was speechless. Absolutely and completely speechless. This house (scratch that mansion) was HUGE! And even that might have been understating it a bit. She hadn't counted, so she couldn't know for sure, but she was almost positive that there were at least 50 rooms in the colossal (there that was better) building in front of her. How did people even use that many rooms. She was pretty sure half of them were draped in white cloth and never entered.

"Come Sakura," her grandmother called from her spot a few meters in front of her. She had just met the woman a mere ten minutes ago and she was already positive she would have a lousy time this summer. After all, her own _grandmother _was treating her like a dog. 'Come Sakura! What does she think I am? A pet she's renting for this summer?'

Sakura begrudgingly followed her grandmother up the twenty some stairs and into the large building. "Your room is on the third floor, fourth door on your left when you first come up the stairs," the white haired, green-eyed woman instructed before shuffling off to god knows where.

Sakura grabbed her purse, the doormen having taken her other suitcases upstairs already, and attempted to find her way to her room.

* * *

After spending the better part of the afternoon 'touring' around her grandmother's house (she got lost right off the bat and traveled through a good deal of the house), she finally found her room and collapsed on her bed. Looking over at the clock, she groaned. It was almost 5:30 pm, her grandmother's designated dinnertime. There was no way Sakura was getting back up out of this room only to get lost again.

Just as she was about to drag her butt to the bathroom to take a shower, the phone started ringing. Out of habit, the young rosette picked up the pink receiver.

"Hello?"

"Ah, good. You found your room," the voice of her grandmother came over the phone.

"Yeah," Sakura said, her tiredness showing in her one-word answers.

"You sound tired, I'll just send your dinner up and you can eat it when you're ready. See you in the morning..." Before Sakura could respond, the line went dead. 'YES! I don't have to leave this room!'

Sakura slunk into the bathroom and turned on the water. She still found it hard to believe that it had been just yesterday that she had been at Ino's, fighting about what to pack. What a long vacation this was going to be.

* * *

_From: Hyuuga Hiashi (H-Hiashi)_

_To: Hyuuga Hanabi (lil-firecracker3); Hyuuga Hinata (lil _miss_sunshine)_

_Sent: Monday, June 25, 3:13 am_

_Subject: Change of Plans_

_Dearest Hinata and Hanabi,_

_I regret to inform you that there has been a slight change in the schedule of your trip itinerary. Your mother contacted me this morning with regards to your arrival date at her house. She says that she is not quiet ready to have you on the fourth of July and so I have arranged for you to visit your aunt for a week before traveling to visit your mother. _

_That is all,_

_Hiashi._

* * *

Hinata re-read the email on her Samsung for the twelfth time since arriving at the airport that morning. Last night, her father had sent her the e-mail stating that they had to make a slight detour before visiting their mom. She sighed. Her father's email had meant that Hinata had to change their tickets. So she had awoken the girls from their slumber and asked for their help.

Of course they had gone along with whatever she asked. That's why they were such great friends, always putting their friends needs before their own, even at three thirty in the morning after only getting a half an hour of sleep. It had taken a half an hour to get everything straightened out and as soon as that was done, they all fell asleep.

She looked up and saw her younger sister talking excitedly on her cell phone to one of her friends. Unlike Hinata, Hanabi, who was five years younger than the heiress (making her eleven), had never had the strong bond of friendship that existed between Hinata, Sakura, Ino, and Tenten. Hanabi had gone through many friends, and Hinata was never entirely sure which friend she was talking about when she described one of their escapades.

That was another thing Hinata loved about her friends. They were always together and people always knew whom she was talking about. It took a lot less time to explain who each person in her story was. Very efficient.

"This is an announcement for all those on flight 157 to Iwagakure. We will now begin general boarding. All those in rows 16 through to 21 may now check in."

Hinata turned off her iPhone, dug through her purple Gucci purse and found her boarding pass.

"See ya, honey!" Hanabi called into her phone before hanging up. The younger Hyuuga then proceeded to fall, very ungracefully, into the seat beside her sister. "How long does it take for people to walk onto a plane? I mean come on! Everyone's so-oh slow," the younger Hyuuga complained.

"Patience is a virtue, Hanabi-chan. Just wait," Hinata said as she handed the younger heiresses her boarding pass.

"You know, Hinata-nee-chan, your saint act is getting really annoying," Hanabi muttered as she flipped through the magazine she had bought at the newsstand.

'And this is why I don't like spending time with my little sister,' Hinata thought as she waited for her row to be called.

The two Hyuuga heiresses were complete opposites of each other. Hinata, shy and quiet, liked peaceful, zen, things. She was completely content curling up in front of a fire with a good book. Hanabi, on the other hand, was loud and preppy. She hated reading and found silence boring. Instead she enjoyed blasting her atrocious R&B music as loud as she could.

"We are now boarding rows 9 to 1."

Hinata hurriedly stood and hustled over to the check in line.

* * *

_From: Hyuuga Hinata (lil _miss_sunshine )_

_To: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx)_

_CC: Bear-chan (10.10i-score-every-time10.10); Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_Sent: Monday, June 25; 3:45 pm_

_Subject: Re: The Cherry has landed; I have no witty second to that_

_Hey guys,_

_Thanks for helping me btw... I think I forgot to do that earlier._

_I am totally not looking forward to this summer. My lil' sis and I totally don't get along and yet I have to spend the next two months with her,_ _but I'll try to make the best out of it._

_Hope you're well,_

_Your lovely sunshine girl,_

_Hinata_

* * *

The shinny white limo that had picked up the two heiresses at the Iwagakure airport pulled up in front of a large, four story beachfront house.

"Wow! Aunt Mai's got some sugar daddy!" Hanabi exclaimed as she stepped out of the shiny limo, her large D&G glasses shimmering as they caught the light.

"Hana-chan, how do you know Aunt Mai didn't buy this house herself?" Hinata asked as she stepped out of the large car, having difficulty holding all of the carry on bags Hanabi insisted on taking. Hinata didn't get it. Her sister was only eleven but she acted like some twenty-one-year old with a rich daddy. She was spoiled rotten.

"Ah!" came a voice from the second floor balcony. Both girls looked up and came face-to-face with a beautiful brunette hanging slightly over the railing, her lilac cotton summer dress blowing slightly in the breeze.

"Aunt Mai!" the girls exclaimed as the brunette disappeared within the house only to reappear at the front door minutes later.

"I was thrilled when your dad phoned me and said that you were coming. Neji is off at a soccer camp, otherwise I'm sure he'd be elated as well," Mai exclaimed as she helped the driver with the copious amounts of Coach luggage, courtesy of Ino's repacking and Hanabi's early materialism.

"Soccer camp?" Hinata queried, trying as hard as possible to ignore Hanabi's sarcastic, 'I bet he would be elated! If he were capable of showing emotions.'

"Yes, he's been going for the past few years now. He seems to really enjoy it, though I think his roommate annoys him." Mai chuckled to herself at the last part, setting the bags down at the foot of the stairs.

Mai quickly explained where each of the girls' rooms were and then disappeared into what Hinata guessed was the kitchen to get the two something to eat. The sisters climbed the large flight of stairs, parting when Hanabi came across her room.

Hinata opened her door and flopped down on the large bed. This stop over was doing nothing to settle the nerves that had emerged in her stomach when she had agreed to spend the summer with her mother.

Searching for a way to settle her stomach, she rolled over and opened one of the large Coach bags and pulled out her laptop. Hinata found that whenever her stomach became knotted, the best cure was to write a chapter or two in her novel.

_-End Chapter 2-_

_-To Be Continued-_

_**A/N: **__I luvre writing Hanabi 'cuz you never get to see her personality in the anime/ manga so you can basically make it up :P I think she's a lot like Effie, or at least she will be for this story. And don't criticize me, saying she shouldn't be acting like this at eleven; I have proof that there are eleven-year-olds with attitudes!_

_Now, the last thing I have to say is, _

_Review... your words are the inspiration that gets me through the day._


	4. Chapter 3: See You Next Fall

**-We Will Never Part-**

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto. _

**-Chapter 3-**

**-…See You Next Fall -**

_From: Chouji (count-eats-a-lot)_

_To: Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_Sent: Monday, June 25; 10:19 am_

_Subject: Summer School_

_Hey Ino,_

_Sorry to be bothering you, but I couldn't remember what time class starts on the fifth. Was it eight or nine? Shikamaru (do you remember him?) swears that it's eight. But I'm almost positive it's nine. _

_Your input put would be great ('specially if you agree with me!)_

_Bye,_

_Chouji_

* * *

Ino grumbled as the sun light shone directly onto her face. Why oh why had she chosen the room facing the east and then got the flimsy blinds to cover her window? What happened to her planning skills when she had made those moves? It must have been winter, when the sun didn't rise until eight in the morning as opposed to the six thirty wake up she was currently experiencing.

Rolling out of bed after her attempts to return to the wonderful dream she had been having only moments before, her foot came in contact with something soft and squishy. Looking down she realized that the stuffed pig her father had gotten her on her third birthday, the same pig she slept with every night, was halfway under her bed.

She pulled it from its location and after making her bed, situated it dead center on her large, purple covered bed.

Many people would say that Ino, being almost sixteen (her birthday was in September), was far too old for stuffed animals. Ino's response to these people would be an hour rant on fading youth and the loss of imagination and how stuffed animals helped cultivate the minds of the youth so they didn't grow up too fast (though that was rare because people would then accuse her of spending to much time with Lee and Gai-sensie – not something that would be considered a complement).

The blonde padded down the hallway, hearing sounds from the kitchen before she got there. Her parent's, who both worked in the city and had an hour drive to get to their office, were both up, stomping around the kitchen in an attempt to make themselves breakfast.

"Morning," Ino grumbled as she walked towards the pantry and pulled out a box of corn puffs. Gathering the other ingredients (milk, a bowl, a spoon) the blonde sat at the table and tiredly poured herself a bowl of cereal.

"You're up early, dear," Inoichi commented from behind the sports section of the newspaper, a cup of coffee in his hands.

"Sun woke me up," Ino muttered, using most of her concentration to keep herself vertical. Ino was many things, but a morning person was definitely not one of them. If this was a sign of things to come, then Ino was really not looking forward to the rest of her summer.

* * *

_From: Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_To: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx)_

_CC: Bear-chan (10.10i-score-every-time10.10); Hyuuga Hinata (lil _miss_sunshine )_

_Sent: Monday, June 25; 5:15 pm_

_Subject: Re: Re: The Cherry has landed; I have no witty second to that. That's to bad Hina_

_I hate you all..._

_I gotta go get ready for my shift so that's all I can say for now, but don't fret, there's plenty more were that came from!_

_You now you love me, _

_But I still hate y'all,_

_Ino_

* * *

Ino was lying with her head hanging off of her large bed, listening to music when a soft knock on her door awoke her from her daydreams. Ino jolted up, ripping the earphones out of her ears, and scrambled over to her door.

"Inwo-nee-chan," the soft voice of her baby sister, Inori, drifted through the wood before Ino was able to open the door.

"Yeah, Nori-chan?" Ino asked once she was able to open her door.

"Momma pwomised to make cwookies wift me twonight. See's nwot hwome yet swo I was wondering if woo would dwo it fwo me," Inori's voice was so soft and sad that Ino would have instantly said yes, even if the three-year-old had asked her to rob a bank.

"Sure Nori," Ino replied as she grabbed her sister's small chubby hand.

* * *

When Inoichi and Ishiko returned home from work at 7:45 that night, it was to find their two daughters in the kitchen. Ino was buried elbow deep in sudsy water, a rare sight as Ino never did the dishes. Inori was sitting on a chair at the table, covered in crumbs. A plate of cookies (well, what was once a plate of cookies, now there were only two), and a glass of milk sat before the small girl.

Ishiko smiled at the sight. Many people believed that Ishiko was uncaring, the way she portrayed herself in the cooperate world. In reality, she was extremely emotional, and the sight of her two daughters working together nearly sent her over the edge.

The moment was broken when Inori loudly yawned, signalling that it was time for her to go to bed. Ishiko walked forward, gathered the small blonde in her arms and headed upstairs while Inoichi took a seat at the table and began nibbling on the remaining cookies.

"It was a nice thing you did, making cookies for your sister," the only male Yamanaka commented.

Ino turned around, a smirk on her face. "Could you ever say no to Nori's puppy-dog face?" she asked.

Her father simply smiled and shook his head.

* * *

_From: Papa Bear (R_Saburo)_

_To: Bear-chan (10.10i-score-every-time10.10)_

_Sent: Monday, June 25, 11:02 am_

_Subject: Have fun at camp honey bear!_

_Hey bear, _

_Sorry I couldn't make it to the airport to see you off. I had something come up. Anyway, have fun at camp, but not too much fun. _

_Don't do anything that you wouldn't do if I was looking over your shoulder. _

_Most of all, win those games and show everyone just how amazing you are!_

_See you in two months, _

_Dad._

* * *

Tenten sighed as she turned off her iPhone. Her father had always been like that, praising but at the same time warning. She felt so happy that he was her father, the perfect one at that, even though he often doubted his abilities. But that was only natural. He was a single dad raising a teenage daughter. There were moments when a mother would normally step in and take over, but they made do.

A single tear slipped down her cheek before she could stop it. Thinking of her mother always caused this.

It had been nearly seven years ago, on Christmas Eve. Tenten had been in the car, her mother and her coming home from the mall, singing merrily along to the carols that played through the car's speakers. The snow had been falling, slightly blocking their view of the road, but the older brunette had been driving very carefully. She had always been cautious, but even her mother's extreme caution couldn't have stopped the semi-trailer truck that ploughed through the snow at the normal speed, skidding on the ice as it attempted to turn the corner and ramming into the driver's side of their small car. Tenten had blacked-out then, only waking up the next day in the hospital, surrounded by her friends and family.

Her mother hadn't made it. The truck had crushed her and she died from the injuries. It had been the hardest time in Tenten's life. For the period of about two months, Tenten slipped into a state of depression and retreated from everyone. Eventually her friends were able to worm their way back into her life and Tenten had returned, somewhat, to her bubbly self. Now, years later, the effects of her mother's death had diminished significantly. The only lingering affect was that Tenten hadn't picked up a soccer ball since that day.

It had been their sport.

They would trek out to the park in any weather and kick the ball around. They would watch almost every game they could on TV and the brunette's mother had even taken her to a few games. And it was because of this, the fact that she almost always associated soccer with her mother, that she hadn't been able to do anything soccer related.

That was why this summer was so big. Going to a soccer camp meant facing the emotions that came along with it.

The bus jolted to a stop and Tenten looked out her window. Sunagakure, which was in a desert climate, was usually referred to as a barren wasteland, but here there were large expanses of grassy fields that lead to a large lake. 'An Oasis, huh?' the brunette thought as she disembarked the bus and was able to see the cabins.

They were of average size, all painted different colours making them stand out. Across the playing fields from the cabins, was a large building labelled 'MESS HALL' in white paint. Councillors stood all along the fields, directing campers towards the mess hall.

Tenten picked up the small black D&G bag Ino had lent her for her vacation and walked over to the mess hall. Finding a seat near the back, she sat down and pulled out her phone.

* * *

_From: Bear-chan (10.10i-score-everytime10.10)_

_To: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx)_

_CC: Hyuuga Hinata (lil_miss_sunshine); Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_Sent: Monday, June 25; 5:57 pm_

_Subject: Re: Re: Re: The Cherry has landed; I have no witty second to that. That's to bad Hina. Wow you guys so need a life_

_Hey guys! God I miss you all already!_

_n e way, glad to hear Sakura got to her grandmother's safely... hope your summer is ok from here on out_

_Camp so far is ok... though I've only just arrived. I promise to write to you the minute I get more info_

_your good friend and loyal bear-chan, _

_Tenten_

* * *

Cabin 3 was just like any of the other cabins. It was bright green, had a bunk bed and a single bed, and a bathroom with a small sink, a shower and, of course, a toilet. There were three dressers along one wall so each person in the cabin could put their clothing away. There was also a desk with a very old desktop computer, and a small WIFI box.

Tenten claimed the top bunk, always liking the top, and began unpacking. She sighed as the first suitcase she opened was filled with Ino's clothing. As she was putting the tiny white shorts Ino had packed her into the dresser, she heard a whistle.

"Wow, you sure brought a lot of pink," a girl commented. Tenten turned around and came face to face with a tall blonde haired girl.

"My friend got to it. Trust me. I had one bag of t-shirts and shorts and she turned it into half a bag of t-shirts and shorts and two and a half bags of... this!" Tenten explained lifting up a very short skirt.

"Sounds like a girl I know. I'm Temari by the way," the blonde said, resting her bag on the bed below Tenten's.

"I'm Tenten, and I think it's the same girl. Yamanaka Ino right?" the brunette said as she continued to unpack the copious amounts of pink and small fabric that her blonde had crammed into her bag.

"You know Ino huh?" Temari chuckled slightly.

"Yeah, we've been best friends since we were babies. How do you know her?"

"We met at an all girls camp a few years back and we've kept in touch."

"Ah!" Tenten replied as the memory of the only other time the girls had been separated filled her mind.

...Flashback...

_Twelve-year-old Tenten sat on the swing at the park as she, Sakura, and Hinata listened to Ino explain why she had been so giddy at school that day. _

"_You're going to cheer-camp, Ino-pig?!" Sakura asked incredulously. After all, they had spent every other summer together. _

"_It's not for the whole summer, just three weeks then I'll be back. I promise," the blonde said as she jumped off the colourful monkey-bar set she had been sitting on. _

"_Still, it-it's the fir-first time we-we've ev-ever been apart," the shy Hyuuga explained. _

"_Yeah, but only for three weeks. Besides, you can't expect us to stay together always. I mean what about university and then our lives after that?!" the blonde asked as she threw her hands above her head. _

"_That's a long time off. We don't have to worry about that now. But this is a big deal Ino. We haven't been apart! Ever! We've even been in the same homeroom since preschool," Tenten explained after seeing the pained expression on her friend's face. Hinata had always been fragile, her feelings being hurt really easily. Ino's slightly harsh words about the reality of their future, had affected the easily hurt raven haired girl..._

_..._End Flashback...

* * *

_From: Bear-chan (10.101-score-every-time10.10)_

_To: Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_CC: Hyuuga Hinata (lil _miss_sunshine); Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx)_

_Sent: Monday, June 25; 6:32 pm_

_Subject: You'll never guess... roommate news_

_Hey guys, (Ino 'specially)_

_Well I've met my roommates (cabin-mates,__ whatever you want to call them) and you (blondie-babe) are never going to guess who one o__f them is..._

_You know how we were talking before 'bout you knowing someone who liked soccer and dancing? And you mentioned your friend Temari..._

_well she's one of my roommates insert girly pig squeal lol_

_The other one just kinda walked in, claimed the single bed and walked right back out again... but from what little I saw, I don't think we're gonna be friends..._

_n e way... I hope you guys have fun!_

_your good friend and loyal bear-chan,_

_Tenten_

* * *

Tenten and Temari had become fast friends. After realizing they shared a friend, they had begun talking about the other things they had in common and found that there were quiet a few. Both girls were fairly tomboyish, with a slight 'in-your-face' personality. And most of all, they both adored soccer.

They were currently sitting on Temari's bed, watching old episodes of Game of Thrones on the brunette's MacBook Pro. Both were obsessed with the show and spent most of the time discussing the various plot twists that had occurred in the most recent season.

They were deep in conversation about the events in the mythical world when their dark haired roommate walked, or more like stumbled, into the cabin.

"Wow, someone's drunk," Temari muttered to the brunette as they watched the black haired girl flop down onto the bed and burst out into a fit of high pitched girly giggles.

"Do you know her?" Tenten asked.

"Yeah, that's Tsuchi Kin. She was at this camp last year. She acts a lot like this, getting drunk almost every chance she gets and flirting with every guy she can. But you get used to it and learn to ignore it. Or at least that's what her last years' roommate told me," the blonde shrugged as she popped another piece of popcorn into her mouth.

The brunette shrugged as well and both returned their attention to the episode that was playing.

_-End Chapter 3-_

_-To Be Continued-_

_**A/N:**__ Tenten and Ino have finally arrived at their destinations :P I supremely hate writing Hinata's stutter and to avoid that, for this story she has overcome her speech impediment to the degree that it takes extreme humiliation to bring it back._

_Review and tell me what you thought please :P_


	5. Chapter 4: So Far Not so Good

**-We Will Never Part-**

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto or the plot of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants._

**-Chapter 4-**

**-So Far Not so Good-**

An incessantly annoying beeping startled the rosette from her pleasant dream. As images of Konoha and her friends' smiling faces slipped from her mind, Sakura's mood soured. Looking over at the flashing digital clock beside her, she saw that it was only 6:30 in the morning.

'Who in their right mind would get up this early in the summer?' Sakura asked as she vainly searched for the source of the beeping. Just as she deemed her search pointless, the phone began ringing. 'Oh great! Another loud annoying sound!' Sakura thought exasperatedly as she searched for one of the two annoyances.

Finding the phone first, she grabbed the receiver, pressed it to her ear and made a beeline for the bathroom to get away from the beeping alarm clock. She slammed the door shut, slid down until her bottom contacted with the tile and then spoke.

"Hello?" she asked, her voice quiet and groggy from the early morning wake up.

"Ah good, you're awake," the dry tone of her grandmother's voice sounded through the telephone. Sakura inwardly groaned before speaking.

"And why am I to be awake at six thirty in the morning?" Sakura asked, deciding that proper etiquette dictated the omission of the more colourful language the rosette would have loved to insert after every second word.

"Why, we have a full day today! Did I not inform you of our plans? Oh don't trouble yourself with remembering, I'll just re-inform you of our plans over breakfast. Be down in half an hour, showered and dressed preferably," her grandmother's tone changed from slightly uninterested to the haughtiness Sakura often associated with socialites who thought everyone was beneath them.

She would have loved to rebut her grandmother (Sakura would certainly have remembered if her grandmother had given her an itinerary) but she wasn't given the chance as the phone line had gone dead the minute her grandmother finished. Another thing that Sakura associated with those socialites, once they were finished speaking, the conversation was over.

The rosette returned to the room, glad that the alarm had run its course and once again fallen silent. As Sakura went to hang up her phone, she was hit with a sudden thought. When had her grandmother, or one of the army of housekeepers her grandmother employed, entered her room and set the alarm for six thirty?

Pushing the thought out of her head, she headed to the closet to pick out what she was going to wear today. Deciding on a pair of dark wash denim cut-offs and a yellow polka dot blouse, she headed for the bathroom, hoping her grandmother would have coffee at the breakfast table. If the day was so full that they needed to get up at six thirty, Sakura was sure that coffee was going to be a necessity in surviving today.

* * *

_From: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx)_

_To: Bear-chan (10.10i-score-every-time10.10); Hyuuga Hinata (lil _miss_sunshine); Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_Sent: Tuesday June 26; 6:55 am_

_Subject: I hate my life. I hate my life. I HATE MY LIFE!_

_Yep, you read that time-stamp right. It is currently 6:50 IN THE FREAKING MORNING! DURNING SUMMER! And I am awake._

_My grandmother woke me up with the most annoying alarm and then a phone call where I had to listen to her snooty voice this morning. _

_God, I hope whatever she has planned will be at least slightly interesting. _

_Hope your first day of summer is more amazing than mine!_

_xox_

_your bestie forever,_

_Cherry_

* * *

Sakura slouched into the grand dinning hall at three minutes past seven, and plopped herself into the closest chair. She was immediately surrounded by a group of servants pouring her juice and coffee, taking her order for breakfast, unfolding the napkin that had been folded into a lovely swan, putting it on her lap, and a lot of other things that happened so quickly the rosette wasn't even sure they had happened. As soon as the servants disappeared, Sakura's eyes connected with the disapproving gaze of her grandmother.

The icy sea green eyes held Sakura's gaze for a good four minutes. As every minute passed Sakura felt herself sinking lower and lower into the expensive dinning room chair she had taken. Finally, her grandmother broke the silence by clearing her throat.

"Sakura, I am very disappointed in you. I explicitly told you to be down here at seven, not 7:03. I will not tolerate this sort of behaviour. When I ask something of you I expect you to follow through. You have wasted valuable time. Now we must hurry to get everything done."

Sakura began to tune out her grandmother's ranting about halfway through. It was a mechanism that the rosette had developed as a way to survive dinners at her house. Often, her parents would spend the entire time talking about medical-this and vet-that. It was so boring that before Sakura had developed the mechanism, she'd fallen asleep twelve times.

"SAKURA!" Her grandmother's harsh voice broke the rosette from her trance. She smiled sheepishly at her grandmother, hoping the elder Haruno wouldn't be to mad at her. Sakura's prayers went unanswered. "Did you hear one word I said?" Chikara, her grandmother, asked.

Sakura nodded apprehensively before deciding to explain exactly what she had heard. "I sort of stopped listening before you started talking about our plans today..." Sakura trailed off at the glare her grandmother was giving her.

"Honestly child! I have no idea how my son can live with such an insolent child. I haven't the time to explain to you, _again, _what we shall be doing today. Come now, we must leave if we wish to make our first appointment," Sakura's grandmother stood from her elegant seat, wrapping the end of her Hermes scarf around her neck with a flourish.

Sakura stood as well, straitening out her blouse. Her grandmother took one look at her bare legs and sighed in exasperation. "That outfit is entirely inappropriate for today's events. If you had been listening yesterday, or even this morning, when I explained to you the events, this wouldn't be a problem. Please, go change and meet me in the garage."

With that, her grandmother exited the dinning room and disappeared into the halls. Sakura rolled her eyes and headed for her room. 'No matter how awful she is, I mustn't kill her. She's my grandmother. I mustn't kill her. She's my grandmother.' Sakura repeated her new personal mantra over and over again as she ascended the stairs back up to her room.

* * *

_From: Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_To: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx)_

_CC: Bear-chan (10.10i-score-everytime10.10); Hyuuga Hinata (lil _miss_sunshine)_

_Sent: Tuesday, June 26; 8:58 am_

_Subject: Re: __I hate my life. I hate my life. I HATE MY LIFE!_

_Cher,_

_Do you know how much I love you? You're so special. Or did you forget that I'm taking summer courses and will be up at 6:30 every morning because school starts at 8:00 and it takes twenty minutes to walk to school (plus it takes me an hour to get to perfection! :P) _

_I can't feel sorry for your early wake up, but I do feel for you having to spend the day doing what your grandma wants. The one time I met her, I could tell that lady didn't have a fun bone in her body. Hope your day isn't too super dull!_

_You know you love me,_

_Ino_

* * *

Sakura walked into the awaiting Lincoln Town Car and straightened her black pencil skirt, a choice she was positive her grandmother would approve of.

Once the rosette was situated in her seat, she looked over at her grandmother for any sign of approval but found that the elder Haruno was buried behind the fashion section of the newspaper.

As soon as the door clicked behind Sakura, the engine of the dark car revved and pulled out of the driveway. Sakura dug through her bag and retrieved her iPod, sticking the small white ear buds into her ears. She turned up the volume and allowed the harsh drumbeats of Motion City Soundtrack to fill her mind.

Sakura was just beginning to get into the music when the ear buds were yanked from their position.

"Playing your music that loud will make you deaf," Chikara said as she exited the Town Car and proceeded up a long winding walkway. Sakura ducked out of the car and took a look at the house. It was another large one. Easily three times larger than her house, but obviously smaller than her grandmothers.

'I thought baa-chan said we were running errands. What are we doing here?' Sakura thought as she straightened out her skirt and followed her grandmother.

After the fourth house they visited, Sakura began to realise that her grandmother's definition of 'errands' consisted of visiting her friends and other important people in the medical field and checking up on how their lives had been. What normal people would consider a normal aspect of friendship, Chikara considered a 'chore'.

Also by the fourth house, Sakura had officially decided that watching paint dry would be a better way to spend her time.

She was overjoyed when, after visiting exactly twelve houses in six hours, her grandmother announced that thy only had two more stops. The first would be a quick drop-in at Haruno Medical flagship store to assure everything was working smoothly. The final stop of the day would be, as her grandmother described it, an extra-special surprise. Sakura wasn't getting her hopes up.

* * *

_From: Hyuuga Hinata (lil_miss_sunshine)_

_To: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx)_

_CC: Bear-chan (10.10i-score-everytime10.10); Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_Sent: Tuesday, June 26; 10:29 am_

_Subject: Re: Re:__ I hate my life. I hate my life. I HATE MY LIFE!_

_Poor cherry,_

_I, unlike the selfish and mean Ino, totally feel for you! Ino made the choice (sort of) to wake up that early on a daily basis. You did not! We should feel bad for you. Early mornings are the worst things ever!_

_Hope your day isn't too terrible and hope this is the only time your grandma forces you awake._

_Hope you're well,_

_Hinata_

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke sighed as he continued stacking healthcare items such as toothpaste and shampoo. He really hated his job but it was one of the only ones available at the time. Originally, Sasuke had planned on heading to Mizugakure to enjoy some beach time, but a bank statement saying that he had exactly $200.00 had derailed those plans.

Heading to university next year, Sasuke decided that he really needed to earn some money but found the only place hiring for the summer at the beginning of June was Haruno Medicals. And so, he was stuck stacking products, doing inventory and, on the rare occasion that they were missing senior members, working the cash register.

The one part of his job that Sasuke hated the most was the bi-weekly visits by CEO, and founder of Haruno Medicals, Haruno Chikara. Sasuke had known the old woman all his life. And he had hated her just as long. The Harunos and Uchihas had been feuding for over fifty years, and Haruno Chikara never let Sasuke think that the feud might be ending.

She personally tried to make his life a living hell. Whenever she was in the store, she would nitpick at whatever task he was performing. She would always be able to find something wrong, even if it was as little as him not putting the sale sticker in the same exact spot on every product.

And today, Tuesday June 26, was one such day. Sasuke had been desperately trying to get these days off but he'd had no such luck. At 1:30 pm on the dot, Chikara walked in through the front door and headed to the back. Thirty seconds later, a young woman with pink hair walked in.

Sasuke was still looking at the door when she entered and she immediately captivated him. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason, he just couldn't look away. She was dressed oddly formal to be running errands at a pharmacy, but they were in a ritzier area of town.

She absentmindedly wandered the isle, bopping her head slightly to whatever music was playing from her iPod. Subconsciously, Sasuke began to gravitate towards the rosette.

"Ahem!" The sound of someone clearing their throat just behind Sasuke, pulled the young Uchiha's attention from following the girl. He turned and came face to face with the store manager, a gangly man in his young thirties.

'Ah shit!' Sasuke thought as he took in the look on his boss', Kisoku's, face.

"Uchiha-san, I believe you were instructed to stack toothpaste, not gawk at the costumers. Please try and keep focused on the task at hand," Kisoku said as he grabbed a package of toothpaste and shoved it into the young Uchiha's gut.

_-End Chapter 4-_

_-To Be Continued-_

_**A/N:**_ _Review and let me know what you think of things so far!_


	6. Chapter 5: I Hate You(r Name)

**-We Will Never Part-**

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto or the plot of Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants._

**-Chapter Five-**

**-I Hate You(r Name)-**

After what felt like ten hours of visiting with all the elderly women in Kirigakure, the limo pulled up in front of a modern looking glass building. Sakura was extremely relieved that it wasn't another house, apartment building, or retirement home. She was positive she wouldn't survive another social visit. Whatever her grandmother had to do in this building, Sakura would gladly welcome it.

The elder Haruno exited the town car first and Sakura followed. Once outside the car, Sakura saw that the building was a Haruno Pharmacy. Instantly, the rosette was confused. As a founding member and the current CEO, Sakura was positive her grandmother could get all Haruno Pharmacy products delivered directly to her door; she shouldn't need to visit a brick and mortar store, even if they were out running errands.

In the few seconds that Sakura stood outside the car, staring up at the building sign and wondering what her grandmother was doing, the old woman had, with great purpose, strode into the pharmacy. Upon realizing she had been left behind, Sakura quickly grabbed her bag and hurried after the elder Haruno. She passed through the sliding glass door and began looking around for her grandmother. After no success in a few seconds of searching, Sakura decided to do some shopping and hopefully come across her grandmother in the process.

She walked down the aisles, looking at the products on the shelves and picked out the few she needed. After about two aisles, she noticed that one of the stock boys had been following her. She turned to him, a questioning look on his face.

"I don't need any help, thank you," she stated after her look didn't send him away.

"What's wit the skirt?" the stock boy asked in return. Sakura was taken aback and not sure how to respond. This first day in Kirigakure sure had been a weird one.

* * *

_From: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx)_

_To: Bear-chan (10.10i-score-every-time10.10); Hyuuga Hinata (lil_miss_sunshine); Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_Sent: Tuesday, June 26; 2:11pm_

_Subject: Did I mention I hate my life?!_

_So, after an early wake up, a ton of boring errands that involved a lot of visiting of old women, and an extremely weird/ rude stock boy, I'm about ready to explode and call this vacation a miserable write-off._

_I need a hug,_

_xox_

_your bestie forever,_

_Cherry_

* * *

Sasuke spent the ten minutes after the arrival of Chikara trying to avoid her judgmental gaze while getting close enough to the captivating pink haired female to talk to her. It was quite the difficult task because Chikara made sure to stick close to him and make snide remarks or disapproving noises. Ever since he'd gotten the job, Chikara had made it her personal mission to carry on the family feud and make his life a living hell.

Finally, his luck changed and Chikara left for a moment to recheck the inventory he had done earlier that morning. Sure that she would be very thorough and try to find even the tiniest detail Sasuke had missed. Sasuke felt confident that he had at least five minutes. He sidled up to the rosette who instantly recognized his presence.

"I don't need any help, thank you," she stated simply, returning to her shopping after momentarily glancing in his direction. At a loss for words, Sasuke spoke the first thing that came to his mind.

"What with the skirt?" he asked without thinking, commenting on the fact that it was the middle of the day, she was a teenager, and she was wearing a relatively fancy looking pencil skirt. Instantly, he regretted his words. He hadn't meant to say that. It made him sound creepy and like he was stalking her and paying her way to much attention.

"Excuse me?" she responded, sounding concerned and insulted at the same time. Sasuke began to search for an apology or some word that would make it better, but he could only come up with one thing.

"I have a syndrome. I don't really have a filter." As he said the words he had memorized from millions of forced viewings of the way too sappy chick flick P.S., I Love You, he silently thanked his ex-girlfriend. He hoped and prayed that this captivating girl in front of him hadn't gone through the same. His luck had run out.

"You mean you're rude?" she quoted back at him, cocking a perfectly shaped eyebrow, waiting for his next comeback.

"No," he stated simply. Internally, he was scrambling to find a way to save himself from the situation. However, his save came from an entirely different, and quite unexpected, source.

"Uchiha, you missed three bottles of shampoo. If you are not more thorough with your counting, we will order new inventory before it is needed! Go fix it!" Haruno Chikara commanded with the wave of her arm. He was a little surprised by the brazen attitude so clearly on display in front of a customer, but quickly left the scene before either could ridicule him further.

Once he was a few steps away, he heard Chikara address the customer and it froze him in place.

"It's time to go, Sakura. Pay for your things and meet me in the car," the commanding voice of Chikara spoke, obviously to the girl Sasuke had been talking to.

"Hai, baa-chan," the girl responded.

Sasuke bolted to the back room, quickly closed the door behind him, and slid down to the floor. He had just made a complete idiot of himself in front of Haruno Chikara's granddaughter.

* * *

_From: Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_To: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx)_

_CC: Hyuuga Hinata (lil_miss_sunshine); Bear-chan (10.10i-score-every-time10.10)_

_Sent: Tuesday, June 26; 2:57 pm_

_Subject: I an't looking forward to this_

_Cherry,_

_I herby decree that you can only send one 'my life sucks, my vacation sucks, I want to home' email a week. All others will be ignored by me (and Tenten and Hinata if they agree with me), and no responses will be forthcoming._

_If you dwell on the negative, cherry-chan, that's all you'll ever see. At least try and put a positive spin on your emails or they'll make me want to throw myself off a bridge. Don't make me want to throw myself off a bridge!_

_You know you love me,_

_Ino_

* * *

After ensuring her grandmother was securely back in the car, Sakura returned to her shopping. While she had told her grandmother she'd go pay for her items, there were still a few things she needed and she wanted to get them now. Being an out-of-towner she didn't know the area very well and was positive she wouldn't be able to find her way back here on her own. Her grandmother's wrath was the lesser evil when compared to getting lost in a strange city.

She finally made it up to cashier five minutes later, only to find the strange boy who had been talking to her earlier working at the only open till. She pushed down her growing dislike for him and began unloading her purchased from the basked she was carrying. When she put her first item on the belt, he looked up and the colour drained from his face.

"Look, about earlier," he began. Sakura didn't let him continue with his explanation. Her early morning wake up, combined with her grandmother and her tedious 'errand' running had effectively destroyed all her patience and social graces.

"Save it," she spoke, her harsh tone silencing the cashier, "I don't want to hear your explanation or whatever else it is you want to say. Just ring up my items so I can be done here and continue on my merry way." She finished her words off with a harsh stare and the cashier immediately got to work ringing up her purchases.

"That'll be $34.97," he finally spoke, his tone hard and unemotional. Sakura momentarily registered the change, but then began digging through her bag for her wallet. She found it wedged under her sketchpad and removed the thick book to get at her wallet quicker.

When she finally got into the car, ten minutes after her grandmother, Sakura could feel the wrath and anger radiating off the older woman.

"What took you so long?" she snapped. Sakura didn't respond and simply pulled out her iPod and popped her ear buds in her ears, drowning out the outside world. This day had been the longest in her recent history and she desperately wanted it to be over.

* * *

_From: Hyuuga Hinata (lil_miss_sunshine)_

_To: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx)_

_CC: Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy); Bear-chan (10.10i-score-every-time10.10)_

_Sent: Tuesday, June 26; 4:19pm_

_Subject: I'd call you a baby but that would be rude…_

_I hate to say it, Cherry, but Ino's right. You have been a little excessively complainy lately. (Also, please don't correct me on my grammar, I'm extremely tired atm)._

_Try and be the positive and fun-loving Cherry we all know and love and you'll have a fantastic summer! _

_Love you and miss you lots!_

_Your lovely sunshine girl,_

_Hinata_

* * *

Sasuke stayed in the back room, pretending to recount inventory, while in reality he was avoiding Chikara and her granddaughter. He only had an hour left in his shift and he didn't need any more awkward or aggravating encounters. Finally, after what he felt was more than enough time for the females to vacate the store and drive off, he reemerged.

His manager immediately sent him to the cashier, a task Sasuke gladly accepted. The monotony of running through various pharmaceutical products would begin to shut down his brain and he could forget about what had just transpired.

It was not his lucky day.

Only seconds after he'd arrived at the cashier he had his first customer. Upon hearing the sound of items being placed on the belt, he looked up. The moment he saw her, the blood brained from his face and he felt faint. Standing only a few feet from him, busily emptying her basket, was Chikara's granddaughter. Sasuke's brain momentarily stopped working, overwhelmed by all that had happened in the past half an hour. When it started working again, things in his mind became clear. In order to put all of this behind him, he needed to come clean and be honest.

"Look, about earlier," he began, but didn't get any further. The girl's harsh words cut him off.

"Save it. I don't want to hear your explanation, or whatever else it is you want to say. Just ring up my items so I can be done here and continue on my merry way." Having said her peace, she stared him down. Sasuke was stunned.

Here was this girl who had so captivated him only moments before, berating and belittling him. He just couldn't believe it. Even after finding out she was related to his own worst enemy, he didn't think she could ever fir into the Haruno mold. He had been told from an extremely early age that the Haruno's were rude, selfish people who would sink to extremely low levels to get what they wanted. He hadn't believed that an entire family could be so terrible, up until that moment.

When the Haruno had opened her mouth, everything from her words, to her tone, to her expression, to her stare had been a direct copy of her grandmother. Instantly, Sasuke's opinion soured.

"That'll be $34.97," he spoke, all previous emotion removed from his voice. He could tell she registered the change, but was too self-involved to care. Instead, she began rummaging through her bag. She pulled out a sketchpad and a wallet and placed both on the counter before opening her wallet and pulling out her debit card.

Having paid, she put her wallet back in her bag, grabbed the plastic shopping bags and hurried out of the store. Once she was out of his sight, Sasuke turned to back to his register and noticed the thick sketchpad that was left sitting on the counter. He picked it up, flipped it over, and contemplated simply trashing it. However, his sense of decency overpowered his dislike of the pink haired Haruno and he decided to return it. By the time he'd gotten out to the parking lot, though, Haruno Chikara's limo was pilling out. He wasn't about to chase it down for a simple sketchpad, and instead returned to the store.

Deciding he'd given it the old college try and that it met his sense of decency, he headed towards the garbage bins out back. As he went, he began flipping through the pages, hoping to find something terrible to use against her in the mental tirade he had ongoing against her. He was sorely disappointed. From the first page, he couldn't believe he had ever considered throwing it out.

He flipped through every last sketch and picture and knew that he would be paying a visit to Haruno Chikara's personal residence to return the sketchpad to her rude, yet incredibly artistic granddaughter.

_-End Chapter 5-_

_-To be continued-_

_**A/N: **__And so it begins! Drop me a review please!_

_Also, new post on my website (mentioned on my bio page). Check it out for some pictures related to the story!_


	7. Chapter 6: Summer Running

**-We Will Never Part-**

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto or the plot of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants._

**-Chapter Six-**

**-Summer Running-**

A light, continual chirping noise awoke the sleeping brunette. She blindly began groping around for the source of the noise, her phone. She found it resting by her feet and, if she hadn't been so exhausted, would have questioned how it migrated there after starting off by her head. As it was, she simply grabbed it, turned off the alarm and hopped out of bed. Once her feet hit the cool floor, she began looking around for her running shorts.

The always athletic brunette had been going for early morning runs for years and was excited at the prospect at running along the sand of the soccer camp's oasis. The night before, Temari had said she wanted to join, but as Tenten observed the blonde deep in peaceful sleep, she decided to head out on her own. She pulled on her running shoes, pulled her hair into a messy bun and headed out into the cool, pre-dawn morning.

She pulled out her iPod, and, after choosing an appropriately upbeat song, popped in her headphones. She then took off at a fairly fast pace towards the beach. Deciding to take it easier than normal because of the change in the environment, Tenten was out for an hour as opposed to the hour and half to two hours she normally ran. When she got back to the cabin, Temari was up and pulling on her soccer gear.

"Hey, early bird," Temari called to Tenten as the brunette made her way to the bathroom to freshen up before practice.

"I would have woken you, but you looked so peaceful," Tenten called back.

"If I'd know you'd be getting up this early, I wouldn't have volunteered to come with," Temari shot back, standing up from the bed she'd been sitting on to tie up her cleats, "I'm gonna go for a quick warm u run now. Meet you at the pitch?"

"Uhh-hub," Tenten muttered, her toothbrush in her mouth as she began to get ready for the day. The blonde chuckled as she exited the cabin and headed out into the humid morning.

* * *

_From: Bear-chan (10.10i-score-every-time10.10)_

_To: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx)_

_CC: Hyuuga Hinata (lil_miss_sunshine); Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_Sent: Tuesday, June 26; 7:15 am_

_Subject: Re: I hate my life. I hate my life. I HATE MY LIFE!_

_Morning Cherry!_

_You should come running with me some time! I'm up this early all the time! It could have prepared you for the summer with your grandmother!_

_Your good friend and loyal bear-chan,_

_Tenten_

* * *

The first week of camp passed in a blur of early morning runs, and all day practices. She had quickly developed a routine and found herself easily slipping in to camp life and readjusting to the game of soccer. She was still a little rusty, but with each drill, she found her body starting to remember more and more skills.

Friday morning, Tenten woke up at 5:30 like she had for the rest of the week and headed out for her morning run along the beach. Her morning runs had quickly become her favourite part of the day. It was one of the only times where she was completely alone and left to her thoughts. She could clear her mind and get her focus ready for the upcoming practice.

She finished her last lap around the lake, pushing herself faster than she'd yet run while in Suna. When she crossed her impromptu start/ finish line, her sweater and water bottle, she felt the endorphins coursing through her veins.

Feeling on a high, and mentally focused from her alone time, Tenten grabbed her sweater and downed her water. She then headed back to the cabin to prepare for her final all day practice of the week. As she climbed across the beach, however, she didn't notice the guy off to the side, intently watching her.

* * *

_From: Papa Bear (R_Saburo)_

_To: Bear-chan (10.10i-score-every-time10.10)_

_Sent: Friday, June 29; 6:10 am_

_Subject: Obligatory father check-in email_

_Hey bear,_

_This is that obligatory father email to check and see how you're going. Are you enjoying camp? Are you making friends? How's the soccer going? Are you remembering the skills? Are you happy?_

_There, now that that is done, your uncle decided that it would be a good idea to take me on a fishing trip earlier this week. I'll show you the proof (and the hilarious pictures) when you come home. Have that mental image for the rest of the weekend to help get you through being separated from me. (You know it's the truth)._

_Dad._

* * *

Back home, in the small beach community his young, fun-loving mother had moved them in to four years ago, Neji was one of the only people to get up earlier than nine am. Most of the inhabitants chose late nights filled with parties and the like. As a result of being an early riser, Neji was often granted the opportunity to sit alone on the beach and watch sunrise.

It was a practice he had continued each year he had come to soccer camp. Surprisingly, the athletic set did not enjoy the early mornings and Neji was once again left alone to sit on the beach and watch the sunrise.

However, when he had awoken early the first Tuesday of camp and headed down towards the small lake on the edge of camp, he found he was not alone. At first, he'd noticed the small pile in the sand and gone to investigate it. Then, as he was standing over the sweater and water, he heard someone approaching.

For some reason, panic overcame him and he quickly bolted behind the nearby changing shack. He would later claim that he had felt he was intruding on a private moment and that was why he fled like a scared little boy.

From his position he saw a female figure round the corner of the lake. She was running at a very fast pace, working her lean legs. However, it wasn't her body that drew his attention; it was the expression on her face.

While her motions spoke of intensity and focus, her expression held such serenity and peacefulness. Neji was instantly captivated. It seemed that this girl was out on the lake in search for the same thing as he was. An escape. A chance to leave all the worldly problems behind and just experience life and live in the moment.

He sat in his hiding space as she continued on past him, watching her run peacefully along the beach. Once she had passed, and he was able to emerge from his hiding place, Neji instead rearranged himself into a more comfortable position and continued to watch her run. As he sat, he decided that he had developed a new morning routine and would continue to come down to the beach and watch this girl run for the rest of his time at camp.

* * *

_From: Bear-chan (10.10i-score-every-time10.10)_

_To: Papa bear (R_Saburo)_

_Sent: Friday, June 29; 12:08 pm_

_Subject: Re: Obligatory father check-in email_

_Hey dad,_

_I am having a fantastic time at camp. I'm still a little rusty with soccer, but I'm sure with another few weeks of running drills and remembering I'll be back to my old self. I've made friends with most of the girls on my team (my one roommate is a little completely the opposite of me). And I'm happy. No major episodes or flashbacks, but I'll let you know if that changes._

_Can't believe Uncle Jin talked you into fishing! You on the water would have been a sight to see! Can't wait to see the pictures!_

_Your bear-chan,_

_Tenten_

* * *

"Hey, girly!" a voice called from behind her. Tenten finished packing up her bag and turned to see who had called. Standing a few feet behind her, a ball held on her hips, was Tenten's roommate Temari. She had an expectant look on her face that made Tenten feel as if she'd forgotten something.

"What's up, Temari?" Tenten replied, searching her mind for something.

"Wanna run some practice shots with me? First big game is tomorrow and I need all the practice I can get. Plus, Kin is starting to really get on my nerves so any excuse to avoid her, I'm going to use!" Tenten set down her duffle bag and jogged up to Temari, grabbing the ball and heading towards the net.

"I'll take goal first," she called back to Temari who was jogging slowly behind her.

The pair took turned taking shots on each other, and while neither were great goalies, it was still good practice. They spent two hours shooting on net and running other various defensive drills, completely focused on soccer and the task as hand. They only stopped because the dinner bell sounded and the two realized how absolutely famished they were. They packed up their equipment, slung their heavy duffle bags over their shoulders, and walked across the field towards the Mess Hall.

About halfway there Temari broke the long silence that had been stretching between them since nearly the start of their relatively intense practice.

"Oh!" she suddenly exclaimed, "I forgot that this was your first year at camp!" Tenten was taken aback by the suddenness and strangeness of Temari's exclamation.

"Okay, and why is that important?" she asked hesitantly, worried about her new friend's sanity.

"Well, all day I've been getting questions, requests, and comments about the 'hang out' party thing I throw the first Friday of camp at my house. Everyone on our team, and even on other teams, was asking, but you weren't and I couldn't figure out why! Then I remembered it's your first year so of course you wouldn't be asking! You didn't know about it!" Tenten didn't say anything; she simply stared at her friend in shock and awe.

"So, wanna come over to my house tonight?" Temari asked, an expectant smile on her face. Tenten chuckled at the blonde's antics.

"Sounds like fun!"

_-End Chapter Six-_

_-To be continued-_

_**A/N: **__Shorter chapter than normal. Was longer when I first wrote it out, but then I decided I wanted what was the end of this chapter to be longer and more involved so I've separated them and, as a result, this chapter is shorter than the others. _

_Review and let me know what you thought!_

_Also, Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!_


	8. Chapter 7: Routinely Extraordinary

**-We Will Never Part-**

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto or the plot of Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants._

**-Chapter Seven-**

**-Routinely Extraordinary-**

The buzzing noise continued on, annoying her. Yet no matter what she did, it wouldn't stop. She'd pushed the button over and over, desperately hoping that the noise would just stop. It was her alarm button, yet no matter how many times she pushed it, she got the same result. Nothing. It was starting to drive her crazy.

"Nee-chan?" the soft voice of her sister sounded right in her ear accompanied by a soft poking. Ino bolted awake, her mind still muddled with sleep. She looked over at her sister, who had toppled over and crawled away at Ino's sudden movement.

"Nee-chan, make buzzing stop," Nori pleaded, her eyes twice as large as normal.

Ino took a moment to collect herself. She gathered her thoughts, realizing that the annoying buzzing of her alarm had not woken her up, but became a part of her dream instead. She rolled over and hit the button, ceasing the buzzing. She took a quick look at the time, and once again bolted.

She jumped out of bed and ran around her room, collecting her clothes for the day and rushing to the shower. She had exactly twenty-three minutes to get dressed, do her make-up, and pack up her things for school. Ino would be lucky if she could accomplish it all and end up looking halfway decent.

Twenty minutes later, Ino was booking it out the door, her makeup slightly smudged and her hair still slightly damp. If it hadn't been summer school with no one important to impress, she would have convinced her mom that she was sick and needed to stay home.

Ino arrived at school with a few minutes to spare and quickly duck into the girls' bathroom to check herself out and make some attempt to fix her appearance. She hesitantly approached the mirror, worried about what would greet her. When she eventually built up the nerve and courage to look, the sight that greeted her was disheartening.

She was sweaty. Her hair was falling out of her messy bun in a very unappealing way. Her makeup was smudged and runny. She checked her watch and found that she had five minutes until her class started. She dug through her makeup bag and grabbed her supplies. She then returned to the mirror, a determined look on her face, and began making herself presentable.

As she redid her eyeliner, the one thought that rolled through her mind was that at least the day could only go up from there.

* * *

_From: Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_To: Cherry blossom (xxvery_cherryxx); Bear0chan (10.10i-score-every-time10.10); Hyuuga Hinata (lil_miss_sunshine)_

_Sent: Thursday, June 29; 8:59am_

_Subject: My Terrible, Awful, No Good, Very Bad Day_

_I've had one of the worst mornings on record and I don't have my girls here to make it all better! I never realized how much I need you guys until this very moment! Please help talk me down form the edge!_

_SO my day started with my sleeping through my alarm. Instead of waking me up, it just became an annoyance in my dream! It took my little sister poking me to wake me up. By that point I was nearly an hour behind schedule and had to rush. _

_My hair is in a bun. I'm sweaty from running. My makeup is super sloppy. I just want to curl up in bed and wait for this day to be over!_

_You know you love me,_

_So please help me!_

_Ino_

* * *

Ino was three minutes late to her class, but she didn't really care. She needed those three extra minutes to just make herself presentable. For Ino, appearances were extremely important, more so even than school. However, that did not mean that she wouldn't take school seriously; her parents made that the only course of action. The two driven, business-minded Yamanaka's would not have a daughter without a college education, no matter how good looking she was.

As a result, Ino had been forced to attend summer school to improve her nearly failing math grade. Ino really hated summer school. She was a strong believer that summers were for relaxing, having fun, and doing what you wanted to whenever you want to do it. On her first day of school, Ino had decided to make the best of it. After all, she'd already gone through the material once before.

Ino began packing gossip and fashion magazines instead of her math books and texting on her phone instead of taking notes. For her, it was a much better way to spend the time than doing silly math problems that had minimal real world applications.

When Ino arrived at class that day, the teacher had already begun the lesson so she quietly snuck in the back door to her seat at the back of the classroom. She had been so soundless that her teacher hadn't even looked up from the board. Taking her seat, Ino reached into her bag and pulled out that week's TeenScene. Immediately, she tuned out the teacher's lecturing on some math theorem or formula, or something, and focused in on what was going on in the showbiz world.

Ten minutes later, a light scrapping noise to her right brought Ino out of the gossip-sphere. She lifted her head from her magazine and glanced around the room. The teacher was still standing in front of the board, occasionally scribbling numbers or math symbols on it as he explained whatever math-related thing was the topic of that class. The other students in front of her were all employed in various tasks –some listening, some writing notes, some checking their phones.

Ino then turned to her right, the source of the sound. She saw the usual occupant of the seat, an old family friend named Nara Shikamaru, carefully taking his seat. Whenever Ino started to doubt her effort in class, or began to wonder if she should be paying more attention, she simply looked to her right. If it was possible, Shikamaru paid even less attention in class; if he wasn't dozing off, he was staring out the window at the clouds or reading a well-used copy of a Go handbook.

Smiling slightly to herself, Ino turned back to her magazine.

* * *

_From: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx)_

_To: Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_CC: Bear-chan(10.10i-score-every-time10.10); Hyuuga Hinata (lil_miss_sunshine)_

_Sent: Thursday, June 29; 11:26 am_

_Subject: Re: My Terrible, Awful, No Good, Very Bad Day_

_You drama queen!_

_You always sleep through your alarm, pig. You should be used to having to rush in the morning. Besides, I bet you looked amazing, anyway. You always do!_

_Stop fussing over your fashionista first world problems!_

_Love you tons, you crazy, over-dramatic pig!_

_xox_

_Your bestie forever,_

_Cherry_

* * *

Five minutes before the end of class, the teacher stopped his monotonous lecturing and headed towards his desk. The students began packing up their notebooks and textbooks, but no one left. Instead, they all stared expectantly at the teacher as he rummaged through a tack of papers on his desk. Ino couldn't understand how a math teacher, who obviously had a good grasp on logic and organization could have a desk that looked like a bomb exploded on it.

Finally, with a triumphant look, the teacher pulled a paper clipped stack papers from beneath the other messy piles. He then returned to the front of the classroom and began writing out he mark breakdown on the board. As he did, he started the routine 'I'm pleased but you can do better' speech; ino tuned it out. A minute later, he began calling names and handing back tests they'd written on the first class to gauge where they were.

Ino wasn't worried about the test. For the first thing, it wasn't for marks so it didn't really matter. Secondly, even with her poor grade earlier that year, Ino still understood everything. She was sure she'd gotten at least a 75%. When her name was finally called –having a last name near the end of the alphabet really sucked- she confidently walked up to the front of the class and nearly snatched the sheet of paper from the teacher's hand.

She didn't look at it until she was out in the hall. Gloating and dancing was not behavior one displayed in front of a teacher. She found a relatively isolated section of the hallway, hidden behind a post, and then finally glanced down at the paper. It was covered in more red ink and x's than she'd anticipated. Finally, she looked up at the top right corner where her mark was located and her heart dropped.

Written neatly in red ink, and then circled, was the number 42 followed by a percent sign that looked more like a seven. She hadn't even passed her placement test!

* * *

_From: Bear-chan (10.10i-score-every-time10.10)_

_To: Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_CC: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx); Hyuuga Hinata (lil_miss_sunshine)_

_Sent: Thursday, June 29; 1:32pm_

_Subject: Re: My Terrible, Awful, No Good, Very Bad Day_

_Oh Ino,_

_You poor, poor soul. You'll be fine! I'm sure you're fabulous no matter what you say. You're always fabulous! You'll be fine!_

_Plus, no one whose opinion matters to you will ever be at school today._

_Your loyal bear-chan_

_Tenten_

* * *

Ino's walk from school to her after-school job at her parents' flower shop was the longest twenty minutes of her life. The only thing in her brain that entire time was the fact that she'd failed the test; she'd never failed anything before in her life! She may not have paid all that much attention in school, but she'd always managed to pull at least a 50%. Now, she felt as if her world was collapsing around her.

When she arrived at work, she nodded to the old lady who did the arrangement and her granddaughter who helped sweep up, and headed towards the back. She was supposed to be on the till until the shop closed at five, but she couldn't handle people at that moment. She needed a few moments to herself and the granddaughter could work the till for half an hour.

Ino sat on a pot in the back and pulled out her phone. Normally, at a time like this, she'd text the voice of reason Sakura, or the calm Hinata. However, both of her go-to-girls were out of text range. Ino sat and thought for a moment about who to turn to.

* * *

_Cho! I need some advice! STAT! _

**What's got your panties in a bunch, Ino?**

_Got back our test today. Not good at all. BTW, you suck for dropping the class._

**Shikamaru said it was super easy. He got a 99%.**

_WHAT?! He pays even less attention than I do!_

**Yeah, but he's like genius-level smart.**

_Do you think he'd be willing to tutor me?_

**I doubt it. The less work he can do, the better.**

_It was worth the shot. Guess I'll just have to focus more. TTYL._

* * *

_-End Chapter 7-_

_-To be continued-_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Review please! _


	9. Chapter 8: To Begin with Beaches

**-We Will Never Part-**

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto or the plot of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants_

**-Chapter Eight-**

**-To Begin with Beaches and End with…?-**

The hot sun beat down on her pale skin, warming her entire being. She closed her eyes and allowed the warmth to move from the skin on her front to her back as it lay against the soft towel and warm sand. The warmth of the sun completely relaxed her and removed all problems and worries from her mind. She was completely and utterly at peace.

"Ewwwww!" The shrill scream destroyed her peaceful moment. Instantly, she was irritated and annoyed at her sister. Whatever had disgusted the younger Hyuuga, and consequently her peace, was most likely not even worth getting mad over. Slowly, and purposefully, she sat up from the towel and turned to her sister.

Hanabi was sitting a few feet away down the beach. She had on a fairly small bikini that Hinata was sure her father wouldn't approve of. She had her phone in her hand and her sunglasses on the top of her head. By the expression on her face, Hinata could tell that it was something on her phone that had caused her sister the disgust.

"What is it?" Hinata asked, her anger did not show through in her question, but her sister knew that she was angry. Hanabi just didn't care that her sister was angry.

"Suki is totally trying to swoop in and steal Daisuke from Jin! How could she do something like that! It's beyond terrible!" Hanabi continued on in a similar, over-dramatic fashion, but Hinata tuned her out. Instead, she packed up her towel and other things and headed back up the small private path to her aunt's house.

She slid the glass patio door open and was met with the cold blast of air from the air conditioning and the loud sounds of an upbeat pop song. Hinata glanced around the kitchen and found her aunt behind the large island, dancing around and singing loudly to the pop song. Hinata chuckled at the sight and slowly moved towards the dock where the music was emanating from.

Hinata clicked the button and the music instantly stopped. However, her aunt didn't notice for a few seconds and continued singing loudly and out of tune. When her aunt did notice, she whipped her head in the direction of her dock. Hinata stood there sheepishly.

"Could barely hear myself think, let alone converse with somebody, with the music that loud!" she explained, hoping her aunt wouldn't be too mad.

"Well, being here all by my lonesome, issues of conversing weren't that big of a consideration for me," he aunt replied, attempting to make Hinata feel guilty for leaving for the beach. Hinata just chuckled at her aunt. She then turned the music back on, setting the volume at a more reasonable volume.

"Come bake with me! I'm making apple pecan muffins!" her aunt spoke, beckoning Hinata over to the island. Hinata set down her beach items and made her way over to her aunt. The pair spent the next hour and a half baking, covering each other with various ingredients, and generally having a fantastic time.

Hanabi walked in from the beach just as Hinata put the final tray of muffins in the oven. Hanabi took one look at the sight and cocked a perfectly manicured eyebrow in the air. She gave Hinata a questioning look then turned to her aunt.

"You missed out on a lot of fun, Hana. We made some really delicious muffins!" Mai answered. Hanabi continued giving the dough covered pair a questioning look.

"Sure," Hanabi responded, not believing a word of what Mai said. She then turned back to her phone and walked out of the kitchen.

Hinata turned to her aunt and rolled her eyes at her sister's antics. The pair then burst out laughing as they looked at each other. After a few minutes spent getting their slightly out-of-control laughter to stop, they turned to the task of getting the kitchen clean.

* * *

_From: Hyuuga Hinata (lil_miss_sunshine)_

_To: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx); Bear-chan (10.10i-score-every-time10.10); Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2:17 pm_

_Subject: Happy! Happy! Help!_

_My, my,_

_Aren't you all having an interesting summer!_

_Mine has been pretty fantastic so far. My aunt is really fun loving and adventurous. Plus, she's got beachfront real estate! I've got to work on my tan (well as much as I can seeing how pale I consistently am), and even do some tubing! Hana and Mai tried to get me to try waterskiing (which they both readily did), but the tubing was enough for me._

_Besides this little recap (sorry I haven't written that much), I need all of your wise, sage, and unique advice. I leave for my mom's tomorrow (Mai's neighbor is driving Hana and me down there). I am super nervous! I haven't spoken to my mom in years! How should I interact with her? Will she be hurt if I treat her like a stranger (because that's pretty much what she is)?_

_Okay, I know the answers to those questions, but I need to hear them from you; I can't trust my judgment at the moment. Please, please, please help me!_

_Hope you're well,_

_Hinata_

* * *

Hinata walked out of the bathroom, a flowy sundress on and a towel wrapped atop her head. She'd spent the past half an hour attempting to get all the ingredients and dough out of her hair and off her body. Now, she felt clean and refreshed and ready to take on anything.

Her sister, with her strange sixth sense, must have sensed Hinata's spike in confidence. Only seconds after Hinata had exited the bathroom, Hanabi appeared in the doorway. She had on her most innocent expression and Hinata instantly sensed that she wanted something. Hanabi's puppy god eyes could make a monk sin. Hinata inhaled a deep breath and slowly let it out, preparing for whatever request her sister had.

"Yes, Hana. What can I do for you?" Hinata took the towel off her head and shook her slightly damp hair out.

"I need some help, Hina," Hanabi spoke softly, swaying side to side with her hands behind her back.

"With what?" Hinata asked, hesitant about what her sister would say.

"With packing. You're so much better at it than I am! If I do it, I'll need at least two more bags and they won't fit in Takahashi-san's truck. Please, please, please, please, please help me!" Hanabi finished off her statement by giving Hinata the full force of her puppy dog look. Hinata took a moment to consider her sister's request, but in the end she couldn't say no to Hanabi's puppy dog pout.

"Ok, Hana, show me what I need to do," Hinata spoke, sighing in defeat as she did.

The two girls walked down the hall towards Hanabi's room on the other side of the house. Halfway between the two rooms, they passed an opening that revealed the grand entrance way. From somewhere on the first floor, Mai's voice drifted up to the pair. Hanabi simply kept walking toward her room, determined to get all her packing done in the few hours they had remaining at their aunt's. Hinata, however, stopped in the open area.

Something in her aunt's voice had made the raven-haired teen want to hear what her aunt was saying. Hinata began leaning through the opening in order to hear her aunt better.

"What are you-" Hanabi began to ask, before she was silenced by a harsh look from her sister. Hanabi had quickly realized Hinata had stopped following her and turned to investigate. Now, Hinata guessed, she wished she hadn't. However, Hanabi didn't continue on to her room, but stood beside Hinata and listened.

"They'll be there by tomorrow at noon. No you need to take them," their aunt was saying, obviously annoyed by the other person in the conversation. Not hearing a response, the girls figured their aunt was on the phone.

"I don't care if it's 'not the right time!' You wanted this! You sought this out. Not them. You need to follow through on this or- well I don't know what will happen, but it won't be good!" Hinata and Hanabi momentarily looked at each other, both getting the feeling their aunt was talking about them.

"Figure it out!" Their aunt's statement had such finality that they –correctly- assumed she'd ended the conversation and hung up the phone.

"What do you supposed that was about?" Hanabi asked. Her tone betrayed that she had very little idea about what their aunt had been talking about, and that she didn't really care to know.

Hinata didn't have the heart to tell her sister that their mother, obviously the person Mai had been arguing with still didn't want them to visit.

* * *

_From: Bear-chan (10.10i-score-every-time10.10)_

_To: Hyuuga Hinata (lil_miss_sunshine)_

_Cc: Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx); Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_Sent: Saturday, June 11; 3:39 pm_

_Subject: Re: Happy! Happy! Help!_

_Hey girly!_

_Long time no talk! I've missed you! Don't fall off the face of the planet like that! (JK, it's only been like three days since your last email.)_

_When you (finally) meet your mom, treat her like your mom. Some reservation is okay at the start, but don't treat her like a complete stranger (even though she is)._

_Hope that's what you wanted to hear!_

_Your good friend and loyal bear-chan,_

_Tenten_

* * *

The truck jerked to the right once again as they hit yet another bump. Hinata put a had out to steady herself so she wouldn't collide with her sister. Hanabi had insisted on sitting in the middle of the truck's single seat. Hinata had thought it was because she wanted to talk to the driver, but the instant they'd gotten into the truck, Hanabi had popped in her ear buds, put her head back, and fallen asleep.

That had left Mai's neighbor, a man in his fifties, as Hinata's sole source of conversation. Even though she had long ago gotten over her nervous stutter, she was still uncomfortable talking to strangers. As a result, the past five hours had been spent in near silence, only interrupted by a few observations about the weather or questions of a non-to-personal nature.

After ensuring her fast asleep sister hadn't gone flying as a result of the bump, Hinata turned back to looking out the window. She was just trying to decide if the white fluffy cloud looked more like a rabbit or a wave on the ocean when the driver cleared his throat. Over the past hours, Hinata had discovered that whenever he did that, he was preparing to ask a question. She turned toward him, anticipating something about her friends, their most recent topic.

"So, your aunt mentioned you hadn't been down to see you mom in years. You fightin' or somethin'?" Hinata was taken aback. That was the most personal question he had asked her in the five hours they'd been driving, and Hinata wasn't sure she was comfortable talking about it.

Her relationship with her mother had always been a sore spot with the young Hyuuga. She rarely discussed it with anyone, even her three best friends. The only reason they even knew most of the Nanami saga was because they'd experienced it with Hinata. Now, here was this perfect stranger inquiring into her most personal private issues. As innocent as it had been, Hinata was instantly put on edge.

"Or something," she responded curtly. Not wanting to talk anymore, she dug through her purse until she found her iPod and put on her headphones. She didn't hit play, simply continued to look out the window in silence.

* * *

_From: Fashionable piggy (littlemisspiggy)_

_To: Hyuuga Hinata (lil_miss_sunshine)_

_Cc: Bear-chan (10.10i-score-every-time10.10); Cherry Blossom (xxvery_cherryxx)_

_Sent: Saturday, June 30; 11:52 pm_

_Subject: Re: Happy! Happy! Help!_

_I've attached one of those 'hang in there!' kitten posters. I hope you find inspiration in it!_

_I totally agree with Tenten and will only add, follow your gut. You may not be super-gut Cherry, but you've got a good intuition on you girl! If it's telling you to keep your distance, then do it. It may seem harsh, but your mom can't expect love and happiness right off the bat!_

_You know you love me,_

_Ino_

* * *

The truck pulled up in front of a large bungalow. The front was covered in red bricks and windows and had elegantly groomed garden beds. Hinata remembered the house from a picture her mother had sent when she'd first bought it. She'd never seen it in person until that moment.

Hinata hopped out of the truck first and the harshly poked her sister in the ribs to wake her up. Hanabi jumped at the force and, in her startled flailing, knocked the trucks horn. It blasted a clear, loud honking noise. Hanabi apologized to the driver, who was busy unloading the girls' bags, and then hopped out of the truck herself.

Seconds after Hanabi's feet touched the ground, the front door of the house opened and a woman with short brown hair stood in its place. The girls turned to look at the woman. She beckoned them closer and they obliged, unease quickly filling Hinata's stomach. Once the girls were within earshot of the woman, she spoke.

"I'm Tsume, your mom's neighbor. She's waiting for you in the kitchen." Hinata took a deep breath; it was not or never.

_-End Chapter 8-_

_-To Be Continued-_

_**A/N: **__Hinata's about to meet her mom! Now that everyone's officially started their summers it will only get more exciting and dramatic!_

_Next chapter, back to Sakura!_

_Let me know how you liked it!_


	10. Chapter 9: This Cannot Get Any Worse

**-We Will Never Part-**

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto or the plot of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants._

**-Chapter Nine-**

**-This Cannot Get Any Worse-**

The entire ride from the pharmacy back home was spent in complete silence. A few minutes after Sakura had popped in her iPod headphones, they were unceremoniously yanked out of her ears by her grandmother. Sakura's sounds of protest were shut down instantly by the icy glare her grandmother gave her. Sakura then sunk back into the seat and crossed her arms in front of her chest. This had, by far, been the worst first few days of summer she'd ever experienced.

When the car finally arrived back at the house, Sakura jumped out of her seat, wanting to get away from her grandmother as quickly as possible. She snatched back her iPod as she climbed out of the car, not caring how rude the gesture was. Sakura was in such an emotional state that all she wanted was to not be near her grandmother at that moment. She quickly decided to go to the kitchen to get something to eat and then look herself in her room. Some good drawing therapy would certainly help her get control of her emotions.

It took her twenty minutes to get to the kitchen and have the staff make her a sandwich and some other snacks. She'd already started calming down in those minutes away from her grandmother and was certain that in a few more minutes she'd be feeling nearly back to 100%. The idea that she'd quickly be done with this day put a little bounce in her step as she made her way through the twisting halls from the kitchen to her bedroom.

She walked into the elegantly decorated room that was designated as hers for the summer, locked the door, and unplugged the phone. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with her grandmother and went to extra lengths to ensure they would not be able to contact each other. After that, she turned to the large ornate desk located next to a large picture window that gave her an amazing a view of the river that wound past the estate.

Sakura placed her sandwich and snacks on one side of the desk and then began digging through her oversized bag for her sketchpad, coals, and pencil crayons. She always travelled with her art supplies, even to school, simply incase inspiration hit her and she had to draw. She usually lost things in her large bag and had to dig around for several minutes before she found what she wanted. However, after searching her bag for almost ten minutes, and finding everything but her sketch pad, she began to get worried.

Before completely freaking out, Sakura moved to her bed and dumped the contents of her bag out onto it. Seeing everything spread out made the searching much easier. After a quick ten second search, her heart dropped.

Her sketch pad, one of her most prized possession, was not in her bag. It should have been in her bag! She vividly remembered putting it in her bag that morning. She hadn't taken it out to draw; her grandmother's friends provided zero creative inspiration. It should still be in her bag! She hadn't-

Suddenly, a memory flashed before her eyes. She had taken it out. it had been in the way of her walled and she'd taken it out at the pharmacy and placed it on the counter. She must have forgotten it there with all the emotional turmoil she'd experienced. She couldn't believe it.

Giving herself only a few minutes to panic about the loss of such an important item, she then quickly turned to figuring out how she could go about retrieving it. She had no car. It was a strange town and she didn't know the bus routes. It was way to far to walk or bike. She could take a cab, but that could get expensive. She could try and get her grandma's driver to take her, but she didn't know if he'd listen to her.

Sakura quickly decided that before she got to overwhelmed with how she'd get to the pharmacy, she should make 100% sure that she'd actually left her sketch pad there. A quick Google search produced the pharmacy's number, which she then agilely punched into her cellphone. It took several rings, and when her call was finally answered, it was by an unenthusiastic teenage male.

"Haruno pharmacy, how may I help you?"

"Yes, hello. My name is Ha- Sakura. My name is Sakura," she'd stopped herself from using her last name, not wanting any favoritism or the like, "I was at your store earlier today and I think I may have accidently left something behind I was wondering if there was any way to track it down." She nervously bit her lip and rocked up on to her toes.

"Haruno Pharmacy holds no liability for any lost or stolen items," the bored teen spoke as if from a script. Sakura rocked back on to the soles of her feet and let out an exacerbated sigh.

"I'm not blaming nor accusing the pharmacy. I'm just wondering if it is there so that I didn't have to come all the way down there for nothing." Sakura swore to herself that if the kid up any more walls to her, she'd pull out her last name and feel absolutely no guilt.

"I'll look for it, but I'm making no promises. What exactly did you leave here?" the male asked, his monotone really getting annoying to Sakura. However, at his sudden willingness, she danced around a little.

"It's a sketch pad. About the size of a laptop, fairly thick, with a canvass cover and calligraphy kanji on the front." Sakura tried to give the teen as much information as possible. Intellectually, Sakura knew that, if she had indeed left her sketch pad at the pharmacy, she was probably the only one. Her detailed explanation was most likely unnecessary. Emotionally, Sakura wanted her sketchpad back and would do everything in her power to ensure it was returned to her.

"Got it. Sketch pad. I'll go look, but I'm making no promises, as I stated before, Haruno Pharmacy is-"

"Yes! I know! Haruno Pharmacy is not responsible for lost or stolen items! Just go look for my sketch book! Please!" Sakura felt bad for cutting him off and yelling at him, but she was very emotional at the moment and not responsible for her actions. The teen on the other end said nothing, simply put her on hold. As the generic easy listening music emanated from the phone, Sakura began to pace her room.

She knew it was a terrible analogy, and nowhere near equitable, but in the instance, she felt like a mother who had lost her child. Her sketchpad was her baby, a part of her. Without it, she felt panicky, lost, and not sure what to do. In her moment of intense panic, generic elevator music in the background, Sakura heard the doorbell ring. She was about to go answer it, figuring the act would give her something to do while she waited for the exceptionally slow pharmacy boy, when the hold music ended.

Instantly, Sakura's attention returned to the phone. She held her breath and waited for the irritatingly disinterested voice of the boy on the other end.

"Sorry, ma'am," his words stung Sakura on several levels, "I looked through our lost and found and asked the other employees. No one has seen the sketchbook you have described. On behalf of Haruno Pharmacy, I apologize. Have a nice day." The boy didn't even wait for Sakura to respond before he hung up the phone. Sakura figured it was for self-preservation from not wanting to get reamed out by Sakura. Still, Sakura was a little offended.

After angrily hitting the 'end call' button for no reason, and throwing her phone on the bed, she collapsed down on the plushy surface, buried her face in the pillows and let out an exasperated scream. She then began kicking and punching her bed and tried to keep herself form crying.

"Should I come back later?" a voice asked from behind her. Sakura froze. No one should have been in her room. Who was it? How'd he get in? What did he want? Slowly and carefully, Sakura rolled onto her back and sat up. Standing in her doorway, looking worried and concerned, and holding her sketchpad, was the rude stock boy from her grandmother's pharmacy.

"You!" Sakura glared daggers into him, "you can leave and never return! How'd you even get in here?" Sakura asked, standing up and trying to look as menacing as possible. She felt as if her privacy was being invaded and all she wanted was to get him out of her room as quickly as possible.

"Your doorman or butler or whatever let me up," he responded, looking over his shoulder as if expecting the butler to still be standing there. Sakura once again wished she was home where her parents would never let strange men up to her room. Having solved the mystery of how he got into her room, Sakura's attention moved to what he had in his hand.

"How'd you get that? Did you take it, you little thief?" Sakura stepped forward and snatched her sketchbook back from him. She glared accusatorily at him, and waited for his answer.

"You left it at the shop. I was going to throw it out, but you're not terrible as an artist. I thought I'd be nice and return it to you instead. Now, a thank you, or even a tip, would be greatly appreciated, and then I'll be out of you hair for good."

Sakura stared open-mouthed at his audacity. How dare a lowly stalk-boy talk to her like that! Not that she was an elitist and felt herself above him. Just that, for all he knew, she was and he still addressed her in such a disrespectful way.

She was about to respond back, put him in his place, when she heard the soft plodding of someone approaching. The slightly halting gait indicated her grandmother. Sakura instantly panicked.

"My grandmother's coming. She'd already mad at me from earlier today and I don't think having a random guy, even if you are technically one of her employees, in my room will help the situation. You need to hide!" Sakura quickly began pushing him towards her bathroom. He protested a little, but otherwise went along with it. "Just keep quite and I'll forgive you for everything AND tip you." Sakura gave him a look them closed the bathroom door.

As soon as it clicked shut, a knock sounded on Sakura's door. She quickly flung herself onto her bed and tried to act as innocent and inconspicuous as possible.

"Who is it?" she sing-songed.

"Sakura, it is you grandmother. I know you are not happy with me at the moment, and honestly, I feel the same. However, I have news for you. So, if you would kindly grant me entry-" Sakura had slowly made her way across the room towards the door as her grandmother spoke. All the while, she was wondering why she'd gone through the effort of situating herself on her bed.

"Yes, grandmother," Sakura spoke curtly once she'd opened the door, "what is it you wish to share with me?"

"My rather annoying neighbours have noticed your presence and have come to me with a request. They both work, and, as a result, are in need of a caretaker for their loud and messy offspring. They asked my if you would be willing to provide such care, and I said you would-"

"You what?" Sakura asked, taking a step back from her grandmother in disgust.

"I said you would care for their son. You can't spend all summer sitting up here doing nothing. Now, they're leaving in twenty minutes, so you should head over now and introduce yourself before you start your new job." Chikara then turned and walked back down the hallway. Sakura angrily groaned, slammed her door, and once again flung herself down on her bed. A banging from the bathroom reminded Sakura that the stalk boy was still there.

"You can go now. There's twenty dollars in my wallet. I'll gladly never see you again." Sakura didn't move when she heard the door open, but did when she heard no other sound. She rolled over and found him standing at the foot of her bed. "Did you not here me? You can go!"

He simply smiled at her.

"Oh no, I want front row seats to see you trying to deal with the Jones' demon child. I am not about to leave now."

"You're the devil!" Sakura responded, glaring at him. However, something about his impish grin made her words come out half-heartedly. "You aren't going anywhere until I know your name at least. I can't keep calling you stalk boy." He continued to smile at her.

"Sasuke. My name is Sasuke."

_-End Chapter 9-_

_-To be continued-_

_**A/N: **__Let me know what you thought._


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